pre-WW1 aircraft

Does anyone know of any model kits of pre-WW1 aircraft?

Yes there are several kits out there. Renwall made several in 1:72 boxed as double kits, Inpact / Life-Like / Pyro made several in 1:48, Entex also produced some in 1:72. And of course the odd scale Wright flyer by Monogram.

The Renwall were plastic frames with Aero-Skin covering The 3 kits I know of are the Wright Flier/1909 Bleriot, 1909 Avro/Curtis pusher and the 1909 Voisin/Antonitte

The Impact kits were a Bristol Boxkite, Martin Handisyde, Avro Tripe and Deperdusin monplane.

Entex produced a 1908 Voisin/Farman again a frame with paper covering.

All these kis, (and there may be more I'm unaware of), are fairly common at vendor's tables at large shows.

HTH
sp

There a more kits as usually thought. But most are hard to come by or even impossible. The following informations are based on my own collection, old catalogues and last but not least the famous book 'WWI in plastic' ny Brad Hansen. ( By the way, Brad, if you are still alive and active in modelling, give me a sign!). Here the list:

AMT Bleriot XI 1/72
BRIFAUT Antoinette, Bleriot XI and ... the Eole Ader! ( Steam engine!), all in 1/72

FUJI, re-issued by ENTEX, also by TAMEI:
DeHavilland D.H.1, Antoinette, Voisin Farman, all 1/72

FALLER Whright Flyer 1/100

FROG Bleriot XI, later re-issued by NOVO, 1/72

HILLCREST 1910 Curtiss Pusher 1/48, 1909 Whright Army Biplane 1/65 (Plastic frames with paper covering, issued late 1957)

For the records only ( not worth considering as a true plastic scale model) are a 1/105 scale Wright Flyer by ITC, also KLEEWARE and RINGO and a
diorama by TONKA 'the moment of flight' including also an odd scale Wright Flyer.

Good luck hunting!

Hans
INPACT, later PYRO, later LIFE-LIKE ( all 1/48)
Bleriot XI, Martin-Handasyde 1911, Deperdussin 1911, Bristol Boxkite, Avro Biplane, Avro Triplane

MARUSAN issued a copy of Monogram's 1/40 Wright Flyer

MONOGRAM 1/40 Wright Flyer

RENWAL amde double sets in 1/72 scale
Antoinette/Voisin Farman
Bleriot / Wright Flyer
Avro Triplane/ Curtiss Golden Flyer

The first try was mixed up on the way trough the matrix, I presume. So here is my second try:

There a more kits as usually thought. But most are hard to come by or even impossible. The following informations are based on my own collection, old catalogues and last but not least the famous book 'WWI in plastic' by Brad Hansen. ( By the way, Brad, if you are still alive and active in modelling, give me a sign!). Here the list:

AMT Bleriot XI 1/72
BRIFAUT Antoinette, Bleriot XI and ... the Eole Ader! ( Steam engine!), all in 1/72

FUJI, re-issued by ENTEX, also by TAMEI:
DeHavilland D.H.1, Antoinette, Voisin Farman, all 1/72

FALLER Whright Flyer 1/100

FROG Bleriot XI, later re-issued by NOVO, 1/72

HILLCREST 1910 Curtiss Pusher 1/48, 1909 Whright Army Biplane 1/65 (Plastic frames with paper covering, issued late 1957)

INPACT, later PYRO, later LIFE-LIKE ( all 1/48)
Bleriot XI, Martin-Handasyde 1911, Deperdussin 1911, Bristol Boxkite, Avro Biplane, Avro Triplane

MARUSAN issued a copy of Monogram's 1/40 Wright Flyer

MONOGRAM 1/40 Wright Flyer

RENWAL made double sets in 1/72 scale
Antoinette/Voisin Farman
Bleriot / Wright Flyer
Avro Triplane/ Curtiss Golden Flyer

For the records only ( not worth considering as a true plastic scale model) are a 1/105 scale Wright Flyer by ITC, also KLEEWARE and RINGO and a
diorama by TONKA 'the moment of flight' including also an odd scale Wright Flyer.
Good luck hunting!
Hans

[PeterL]

Hans provides a very complete list to which I can only add the 1/48 (1/50?) etched brass kits from AJP Maquette. To pricey for my budget as the cheapest is a Demoisel (sp) for £20:00 (around $30 at a guess) They take the form of an etched brass framework which is then covered in extremely lightweight tissue. Others in the range include a Blackbern Monoplane, a Voisin, and a Farman. Not for the finacially chalenged such as I, but wow!

cheers

Peter L

Many thanks everyone for all that info. I'm new to this business, so can someone tell me how to reach Maquette, or any other current supplier.(I'm looking for a Christmas present for someone).

David F

[PeterL]

They do have a Web Site, which needless to say is in French. Having met them at various shows I am sure you'd be okay dealing direct. Otherwise perhaps they can put you onto a supplier in your kneck of the woods

Wish I knew someone who would buy me an AJP kit for Christmas. The Antoinette will do nicely if anyone's feeling particularly generous

cheers

Peter L

Thanks, Peter for the addition of brass etched kits, because this reminds me on another firm:AERO BASE in Japan ( www.nnc.or.jp/~aerobase/) do have a series of etched brassed kits which includes pre-wwi-kits also. In 1/48 they have a Lilienthal Normal Segelapparat, a glider of 1894, and therefore the kit representing the'oldest winged aircraft in model form'. In 1/72 they have a Wright Flyer, and in 1/160 (no joke!!)the Lilienthal Glider again, a Wright Flyer, a Bleriot XI, a Santos Dumont 14bis.

And they are making a 1/48 Fokker Dr1, a 1/48 GeeBee, a 1/72 Spirit of St.Louis, 1/160 Fokker Dr1, Airco DH2 and Junkers DI. I have built ( or better 'bent') all 1/160, except the Junkers. All you need is a pair of fine tweezers, sharp new blade, a sheet of glass, 1 hour time and three weeks vacation to recover. But you get wonderful little 'stripped' kits.

And, while writing, my eyes sees another pre-wwi-kit on my shelves: Flashback made a Rumpler Taube in 1/48. There should be also one in 1/72 by Pegasus, but never saw one.

Thanks to everyone again for the info. It would be a pity to lose this if the thread tails off, so I have compiled a text file of the info you have sent me. If you would like a copy of this, e-mail me an

Thanks to everyone again for the info. It would be a pity to lose this if the thread tails off, so I have compiled a text file of the info you have sent me. If you would like a copy of this, e-mail me an